World of Joy

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Monday, July 03, 2017

I'm pretty sure i started a post or two, then never published them. I've been working on getting my art room cleaned. Trying to find a spot for everything and purge some things. The purging is not going as well as i had hoped. It is hard to give some things up. I have several boxes of stuff to donate and there are probably things i could sell as well. I'll work on that after i finish with the "clean."
I do post art on Instagram when i actually do something. Guess i should put it on here too. I hate to give up the blog totally but fear that day is coming. Not that it has a lot of readers-esp when the posting has slacked off so much.
find me on IG donnajoy88 if you want to stay current.

Saturday, March 18, 2017

Maybe if I set the goal to blog once a month for now, i'll actually
do it. I post on instagram and forget to blog. I hosted the project
for my art groups' january meeting. I also showed a picture on IG to a
friend. Told her i saw it the night before and wanted to change the
project to that :) She texted me later that night and said why don't
we co-host this next month. So i agreed. Thinking we would come up
with our own versions and it would not be too difficult. Wrong. Our
Inspiration was Tina Jensen. I saw a book she posted on IG and wanted to try my hand at something similar. Jeanne and I didn't like how loose our
books
were when we just tied them to the hinge, so we came up with other
bindings. Took us weeks to make our samples, figure out 2 bindings
(thanks Traci for the accordian idea!) You can see pictures on my IG feed~but i will post some here too.

Sunday, February 05, 2017

I hosted my art group's meeting last month and we did postcards. sounds boring. :) But they are a lot of fun. They were based on some I saw that Roxanne Coble (by bun) did on Make it Artsy. Mine are a bit more involved and full of color-not just on one side.
I really like the mark-making/doodling part. I usually have some on hand ready to add all the lines and such when i go to visit my parents. Everything fits in a nice box and travels well. I can sit at the table and
play without having to bring a lot of stuff with me.

Now i am working on some door hinge books~will post some pictures soon!

Thursday, January 12, 2017

I can still say that since it's only the 12th.
I got on the "word" bandwagon again this year. I've been feeling chaotic at home ever since we cleaned out my grandparents' house and my parents moved. I brought things home that were for other family members, myself or to sell or donate. Some of it went where it was supposed to, some was sold or given away-the rest resides with me. A lot of the "stuff" was brought home that i thought i could use for art-things that no one else would have wanted...ie trash. I go through boxes, move things around, stack it in the garage, leave it on a table...you get the picture. I've finally had enough. Another friend and I decided that we would be accountable to each other this year as far as getting our art spaces organized. I realized in order to do that i had to first clean off the dining table and the kitchen table. Both had things that needed to go to new homes or be put where they belong. (read: art projects) I now have 3 boxes-over 50 lbs of photo's that need to go to St Louis. but they are boxed/divided for family and ready to go. Old books have been sold to the book store (what a rip off but got them out of the house) Sewing stuff has been moved back to the art room and kitchen table is almost clean. I've even started on my art room table. If you haven't guessed, my word this year is ORGANIZE.

I am actually making progress so it feels really good and do-able. I'm in that "purge" mode so i am more willing to let some things go. (at least in my head) It's time to put things in their place so that i can be more creative and not just stare at my mess.

Thursday, December 29, 2016

This was one of the most "un-Christmas-y" years i've ever had. I barely decorated-no tree or ladder. Did up up lights/greenery around front door~Just never felt like Christmas this yr. I think a combination of warm weather, parents not here and no real Christmas spirit. The casino party "circuit" didn't even put me in the mood. I got sick in Dec-just like last year. Did good to get christmas gifts done/wrapped etc...
We weren't all even spending the holiday together. Nathan and I both drove out to mom and dad's (separately) so they wouldn't be alone in new house for christmas.
First time ever i didn't spend christmas with gary. At least mom's house was decorated-amazing since she has been taking care of dad and spending a lot of time at hospital when he was there.

dad and mom

dad opening gift from nathan

mom and dad

This bell was made by my grandmother when i was in the 4th grade. She made one for each grandchild with their school photo from that year.
I said, except for Nathan being there, this was like christmas 1963. (my first) Mom said they had no money that year. Dad's paycheck went for gas to/from work and their living expenses. grandma gave her green stamps (or the orange kind) and that is what she used to shop. I got an insulated plate and few other essentials. The grandparents gave me gifts. :)

my first Christmas 1963

decor on counter-she used fabric ribbon i gave her last year

the stockings were hung...

The rest of the family Christmas Day (at keith's house)

Santa wall hanging. She made each of us one of these several years ago.

Monday, November 07, 2016

Had a getaway with a friend this weekend. We left fri and headed to E Texas.

stopped at The Pink Pistol. Took our pictures on her throne.

Made our way up to Mineola -good amount of antique stores. Grabbed a bit of lunch then went on to

Gladewater (antique capitol of texas-or so they say) :) Due to the time, we knew we wouldn't get to see it all but we hit a few stores. Arrived in Gilmer around 6. Gave her the house tour, unpacked the car then had dinner-my mom had roast and the fixings for us. and pie. can't go wrong with pie. Visited with them.

Thursday, October 27, 2016

I just didn't have it in me this year to really do any decorating around the house. I have a few things out-some that stay up all year, but that's about it. I do have my new bats out though. We made these at our sept art meeting. They are about 6" tall and adorable. It's tradition to make a "stuffie" every year now. (designed by Traci Hutton of Art-T-Dolls )(She has dolls and fluffy stuffies in her shop.)

Name on the top of the fortune teller box

I DID however design and make a costume for my niece Addison. I picked her up from school one day and in our conversation, we talked about the kid at school who won the halloween costume contest last year at their trunk or treat. She wanted to copy his idea. I said you can't copy what he did, we have to come up with something else. (he was a claw machine) the box gave me the idea to do a fortune teller box like the old machines. Think "Big" (the movie) So i showed her some pictures online and we sketched out a plan on paper. There was a trunk or treat last wkend at her neighbor's church so we gave it a test run. The box is black w/the white diamonds. The diamonds don't totally cover the box-wanted it to look old and worn. I got a $2 purple sheet at the dollar store-used it for the inside-looks better than just painting it. I attached battery-operated lights around the window. (hard to see in picture-they are orange) Made a crystal ball out of a plastic christmas ball ornament. Painted it with neon yellow, lime green and glitter. Added a glow stick to the inside when it got dark so that it glows. I made her some fortune cards to hand out too-they were a big hit.

Addie standing in her box.

I cut a hole where people could drop her candy into-there is a bag attached inside for it to fall into. Made a little sign ".25 or candy" Wanted it to look like the machines where you would put your money in to get your fortune-but don't want people to give money-hence "candy"~ She will be decked out in gypsy-paraphernalia next weekend. My sister and i may dress as gypsy's too since we're walking with her. The box has holes cut in sides so that she can pick it up and carry it from car to car. I'll post more after the weekend. It's been kind of a secret-she wants to win the costume contest :)